The present invention generally relates to a cordless telephone system operated on a multi-channel access basis, and more particularly to a method for retrieving an idle channel.
A cordless telephone system comprises a fixed station and mobile stations connected via radio frequency (RF) links or channels. A handset unit or a cordless telephone set is provided at each mobile station, and a base unit is provided at the fixed station. The base unit comprises a control unit and a plurality of connection units.
Conventionally, when the connection units retrieve idle channels from radio frequency channels, each of the connection units accesses all channels allotted to its own unit (87 channels, for example), and holds information about idle channels. When a call from a mobile station is received, one of the idle channels is allotted to the call, so that an RF channel can be established.
However, the above-mentioned conventional idle channel retrieving process takes a long time since each of the connection units must search all the channels allotted thereto. During the time the idle channel retrieving process is being carried out, it is not possible for each connection unit to handle another job.